KRONOS QUARTET - 25 Years : Retrospective (1998) 10CD BOX-SET / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 20th century has not been kind to most standard classical music forms. The piano sonata, the concerto, the symphony -- none of them have disappeared entirely, but none remain in a state that could be called even remotely healthy. The same was true of the string quartet until 1973, when violinist David Harrington got some friends together to play contemporary music and offered his old high-school composition teacher a bag of donuts if he'd write a piece for them. The resulting composition was the first of over 400 works that have been written for the Kronos Quartet over the course of the following 25 years, a period which has seen the revitalization of the previously moribund string quartet format. But Kronos has done more than simply triple the size of the string quartet repertoire; by focusing on living composers, by cultivating a somewhat rebellious image, and by playing with impeccable professionalism and skill, Kronos has brought a new and primarily young audience to classical music. This massive ten-disc retrospective includes performances of 31 major compositions, most previously released, but some in new recordings. There are none of the miniature works that fill so many of Kronos' individual albums; these are all long-form compositions, all but one presented in their entirety. They include two string quartets by Henryk Gorecki, Terry Riley's post-minimalist Cadenza on the Night Plain, Morton Feldman's Piano and String Quartet, three quartets by Philip Glass, and many others, but the highlights of the collection are the tremendously moving Different Trains by Steve Reich (who combined train sounds, multi-tracked string quartet, and the recorded voices of concentration camp survivors and Pullman porters to create a powerful and deeply personal statement on the Holocaust) and Alfred Schnittke's exquisite Collected Songs Where Every Verse Is Filled With Grief. The packaging is excellent as well, and includes a booklet packed with photos, essays, and notes on the individual composers and compositions. by Rick Anderson  
Tracklist 1 :
John's Book Of Alleged Dances, for string quartet    (33:16)
1-1    Judah To Ocean 2:22
Composed By – John Adams
1-2    Toot Nipple 1:13
Composed By – John Adams
1-3    Dogjam 2:30
Composed By – John Adams
1-4    Pavane: She's So Fine 6:29
Composed By – John Adams
1-5    Rag The Bone 2:59
Composed By – John Adams
1-6    Habanera 4:46
Composed By – John Adams
1-7    Stubble Crotchet 2:39
Composed By – John Adams
1-8    Hammer & Chisel 1:11
Composed By – John Adams
1-9    Alligator Escalator 3:50
Composed By – John Adams
1-10    Ständchen: The Little Serenade 4:52
Composed By – John Adams
1-11    Judah To Ocean (Reprise) 2:20
Composed By – John Adams
1-12    Fratres 9:25
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
1-13    Psalom 2:00
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
1-14    Summa 5:11
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
Missa Syllabica, for chorus    (12:38)
1-15    Kyrie 2:06
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
1-16    Gloria 2:45
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
1-17    Credo 4:27
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
1-18    Sanctus 0:55
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
1-19    Agnes Dei 1:45
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
1-20    Ite, Missa Est 0:25
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
Tracklist 2 :
Traveling Music No. 4, for string quartet     (18:57)
2-1    I. Gentle, Easy 2:15
Composed By – Ken Benshoof
2-2    II. Moderate 8:19
Composed By – Ken Benshoof
2-3    III. Driving 8:19
Composed By – Ken Benshoof
2-4    Song Of Twenty Shadows 11:17
Composed By – Ken Benshoof
Five Tango Sensations, for bandoneón & string quartet (abridgement and arrangement of Sette sequenze)   (26:46)
2-5    Asleep 5:23
Composed By, Bandoneon – Astor Piazzolla
2-6    Loving 6:11
Composed By, Bandoneon – Astor Piazzolla
2-7    Anxiety 4:52
Composed By, Bandoneon – Astor Piazzolla
2-8    Despertar 6:03
Composed By, Bandoneon – Astor Piazzolla
2-9    Fear 4:00
Composed By, Bandoneon – Astor Piazzolla
2-10    Four for Tango, for string quartet 3:58
Composed By – Astor Piazzolla
Tracklist 3 :
3-1        Piano And String Quartet 1:19:33
Composed By – Morton Feldman
Piano – Aki Takahashi
Tracklist 4 :
Quartet No. 4 (Buczak)    23:04
4-1    I 7:54
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-2    II 6:18
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-3    III 8:38
Composed By – Philip Glass
Mishima Quartet, Quartet No. 3    15:29
4-4    1957 - Award Montage 3:27
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-5    November 25 - Ichigaya 1:19
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-6    1934 - Grandmother And Kimitake 2:40
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-7    1962 - Body Building 1:39
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-8    Blood Oath 3:11
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-9    Mishima/Closing 2:56
Composed By – Philip Glass
Company, Quartet No. 2    7:23
4-10    I 2:09
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-11    II 1:34
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-12    III 1:28
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-13    IV 2:04
Composed By – Philip Glass
Quartet No. 5    (21:53)
4-14    I 1:11
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-15    II 2:59
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-16    III 5:28
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-17    IV 4:39
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-18    V 7:37
Composed By – Philip Glass
Tracklist 5 :
The Dreams And Prayers Of Isaac The Blind    (32:05)
5-1    Prelude: Calmo, Sospeso 3:14
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Basset Horn – David Krakauer
Composed By – Osvaldo Golijov
5-2    I. Agitato - Con Fuoco - Maestoso - Senza Misura, Oscilante 8:33
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Basset Horn – David Krakauer
Composed By – Osvaldo Golijov
5-3    II. Teneramente - Ruvido - Presto 10:34
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Basset Horn – David Krakauer
Composed By – Osvaldo Golijov
5-4    III. Calmo, Sospeso - Allegro Pesante 7:07
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Basset Horn – David Krakauer
Composed By – Osvaldo Golijov
5-5    Postlude: Lento, Liberamente 2:20
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Basset Horn – David Krakauer
Composed By – Osvaldo Golijov
5-6    Quartet No.4 11:47
Composed By – Sofia Gubaidulina
5-7    Mugam Sayagi 21:27
Composed By – Franghiz Ali-Zadeh
Tracklist 6 :
Quasi Una Fantasia, Quartet No. 2, Op. 64    (31:54)
6-1    I. Largo (Sostenuto - Mesto) 8:08
Composed By – Henryk Górecki
6-2    II. Deciso - Energico (Marcatissimo Sempre) 6:45
Composed By – Henryk Górecki
6-3    III. Arioso: Adagio Cantabile 7:23
Composed By – Henryk Górecki
6-4    IV. Allegro (Sempre Con Grande Passione E Molto Marcato) 9:31
Composed By – Henryk Górecki
6-5    Already It Is Dusk, Quartet No. 1, Op. 62 13:58
Composed By – Henryk Górecki
Tracklist 7 :
Different Trains, for double string quartet & tape    26:50
7-1    America - Before The War 8:59
Composed By – Steve Reich
7-2    Europe - During The War 7:31
Composed By – Steve Reich
7-3    After The War 10:19
Composed By – Steve Reich
Black Angels (Images I), for electric string quartet    18:16
7-4    I. Departure 5:26
Composed By – George Crumb
7-5    II. Absence 5:25
Composed By – George Crumb
7-6    III: Return 7:13
Composed By – George Crumb
Tracklist 8 :

Cadenza On The Night Plain    (30:39)
8-1    Introduction 2:21
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-2    Cadenza: Violin I 2:33
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-3    Where Was Wisdom When We Went West? 3:07
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-4    Cadenza: Viola 2:24
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-5    March Of The Old Timers Reefer Division 2:14
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-6    Cadenza: Violin II 2:06
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-7    Tuning To Rolling Thunder 4:53
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-8    The Night Cry Of Black Buffalo Woman 2:53
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-9    Cadenza: Cello 1:08
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-10    Gathering Of The Spiral Clan 5:25
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-11    Captain Jack Has The Last Word 1:35
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-12    Terry Riley: G Song 9:36
Composed By – Terry Riley
From Salome Dances For Peace, pieces (5) for string quartet    (29:00)
8-13    Echoes Of Primordial Time 11:15
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-14    Mongolian Winds 4:10
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-15    Good Medicine Dance 13:29
Composed By – Terry Riley
Tracklist 9 :
String Quartet No. 2    (21:51)
9-1    I. Moderato 3:12
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
9-2    II. Agitato 5:36
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
9-3    III. Mesto 6:41
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
9-4    IV. Moderato 6:22
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
String Quartet No. 4    (34:41)
9-5    I. Lento 9:01
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
9-6    II. Allegro 7:00
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
9-7    III. Lento 5:57
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
9-8    IV. Vivace 3:21
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
9-9    V. Lento 9:16
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
Concerto for choir (Concerto for soprano & chorus)   
9-10    Collected Songs Where Every Verse Is Filled With Grief 8:13
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
Tracklist 10 :
Jabiru Dreaming, String Quartet No. 11    (12:32)
10-1    I. Deciso 5:03
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
10-2    II. Amaroso 7:30
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
String Quartet No. 8    (11:54)
10-3    I. Con Dolore 2:03
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
10-4    II. Risoluto; Calmo 3:14
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
10-5    III. Con Dolore 3:02
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
10-6    IV. Con Precisione 1:35
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
10-7    V. Con Dolore 1:50
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
10-8    From Ubirr 11:12
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
Didgeridoo – Mark Nolan, Michael Brosnan
Memoirs of a Lost Soul, for string quartet
10-9    Tragedy At The Opera 6:29
Composed By – P. Q. Phan
White Man Sleeps, String Quartet No. 1    (22:20)
10-10    First Dance 4:03
Composed By – Kevin Volans
10-11    Second Dance 5:05
Composed By – Kevin Volans
10-12    Third Dance 3:23
Composed By – Kevin Volans
10-13    Fourth Dance 6:16
Composed By – Kevin Volans
10-14    Fifth Dance 3:20
Composed By – Kevin Volans
Credits :
Cello – Joan Jeanrenaud
Viola – Hank Dutt
Violin – David Harrington, John Sherba

Gidon Kremer & Naoko Yoshino - Insomnia (1999) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This is a handsome-looking compact disc release, with strikingly muted graphics in cool purple tones, featuring Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer and Japanese harpist Naoko Yoshina. Here the pretty graphics go a little too far: the buyer finds no listing of compositions on the outside of the package and has no way of knowing what is played aside from a bare mention of the names of the 11 composers featured. That's where the All Classical Guide comes in. The works were all written in the twentieth century. They are: Michio Miyagi's Haru no umi (Ocean in Spring, a calming, melodic piece); Kaija Saariaho's Nocturne for violin solo (a somewhat avant-garde coloristic piece); Toru Takemitsu's Stanza II for harp and tape (also pretty far out and very Japanese-sounding); Yuji Takahashi's Insomnia for violin, voices, and kugo (strange, but oddly soothing); a movement from Satie's Le fils des étoiles as arranged by Takahashi (austere); Jean Françaix's Five Little Duets (100 percent charming); the Étude for violin from Richard Strauss's Daphne (also charming); Six Melodies by John Cage (simple and pleasant); Arvo Pärt's Spiegel im Spiegel (even simpler and not startling); Nino Rota's love theme from The Godfather (you know this one); and the final movement from Schnittke's Suite in the Old Style (gently Classical except for one deliberately horrendous dissonance). So there you have the emotional progression of this carefully planned album. Much of it could cure insomnia; three or four pieces could cause it. The mood is nocturnal throughout. The recording was made in 1996 in Kioi Hall, Tokyo, with Wilhelm Hellweg as producer and engineer. It completely succeeds in what was intended; the microphones are close enough to Kremer that bowing sounds are very evident, but apparently only when the producer wants them to be.  by Joseph Stevenson 

All tracks

Harp – Naoko Yoshino
Violin – Gidon Kremer

ARVO PÄRT : Te Deum; Silovans Song; Magnificat; Berliner Messe (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

A richly realized collection of prayers that brings deep, resounding enlightenment to the ears. Everything about this compact disc feels like Arvo Pärt's master work, right down to the gorgeous photos in the accompanying booklet. "Te Deum" opens patiently and ominously, then proceeds to run the spectrum between overflowing swells and hushed contemplation. The Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir breathe as one under the magnificent direction of Tönu Kaljuste for this and "Berliner Messe," the closing mass that parts the clouds with its stark beauty and pious rejoicing (the third passage within the mass, "Erster Alleluiavers," is a brief teardrop of reverence that even atheists would ponder). Elsewhere, the a cappella chorus of "Magnificat" shines with vocals that embrace the church walls with chills and crispness, like a beam of moonlight through winter. One of the composer's strengths has always been to find the depth in simplicity. To this end, ever-present ECM producer Manfred Eicher's sparse and beautiful sensibilities fit Arvo Pärt like a glove, especially with "Silouans Song," which blossoms in stoic waves of strings. Such bittersweet longing resides here ("My soul yearns after the Lord") that a little sadness seems to slip out through all the reverence. This is uniformly his finest album, but by no means does it encompass all he has to offer. The compositions in Te Deum may not reveal Pärt's more eclectic and thunderous side, but few other albums carry such a consistent theme. by Glenn Swan

Tracklist:

1 - Te Deum (1984-1986)

2 - Silouans Song (1991) - 'My Soul yearns after the Lord...' 

3 - Magnificat (1989) 

4 - Berliner Messe (1990-1992) - Kyrie 

5 - Berliner Messe (1990-1992) - Gloria 

6 - Berliner Messe (1990-1992) - Erster Alleluiavers 

7 - Berliner Messe (1990-1992) - Zweiter Alleluiavers 

8 - Berliner Messe (1990-1992) - Veni Sancte Spiritus

9 - Berliner Messe (1990-1992) - Credo 

10 - Berliner Messe (1990-1992) - Sanctus 

11 - Berliner Messe (1990-1992) - Agnus Dei

ARVO PÄRT : Arbos (1987) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Pärt's 1987 release, Arbos, shows the composer working within his medium, bringing forth a body of music sacred in sound and message and presenting new compositional techniques. Utilizing a limited palette of tones, arranged in repeating patterns, these works are often (understandably) categorized with the works of Glass, Reich, and Riley. The tonal palette is often borrowed from European medieval styles, and this, in conjunction with the liturgical subject matter, make these new compositions feel centuries old. His Pari Intervello, originally scored in 1978 for wind instruments, is here recorded for solo organ. One of his more famous pieces, Stabat Mater, is presented here -- an airy piece that floats just on the threshold of awareness. Scored for vocal trio and string trio, this is a simply beautiful piece -- very expressive and lilting. by Mark Allender

ARVO PÄRT - Passio (1988) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Pärt's long-form The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. John dramatizes the apostle John's account of the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. The form he adopts sounds as though it were centuries old, with its choral orchestration. But his choice of instruments, his choice of chords, his phrasing, and the basic construction of the piece itself are all based on 20th century ideas, most notably his own innovation, the "tintinnabuli" method. The overall sound is significantly bigger than the small ensemble performing it; this is an innovative work, despite the classic subject matter. The text is taken verbatim from the Vulgate. by Mark Allender

Tracklist:
1 Passio Domini Nostri Jesu Christi Secundum Joannem 70:52
Credits:
Baritone Vocals [Evangelist Quartet] – Gordon Jones
Bass Vocals [Jesus] – Michael George
Bassoon – Catherine Duckett
Cello – Elisabeth Wilson
Choir – The Western Wind Chamber Choir
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
Conductor – Paul Hillier
Countertenor Vocals [Evangelist Quartet] – David James
Ensemble – The Hilliard Ensemble
Oboe – Melinda Maxwell
Organ – Christopher Bowers-Broadbent
Producer [Produced By] – Manfred Eicher
Soprano Vocals [Evangelist Quartet] – Lynne Dawson
Tenor Vocals [Evangelist Quartet] – Rogers Covey-Crump
Tenor Vocals [Pilate] – John Potter
Violin – Elizabeth Layton

ARVO PÄRT : Orient & Occident (Tõnu Kaljuste) (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Surprises are in store here for anyone expecting the contemplative style for which Arvo Pärt is best known. The composer's identity is still recognizable -- events happen deliberately, in a slow, wave-like procession. But all three works on the disc are marked by dramatic contrasts rather than Pärt's usual resounding stasis. There's nothing minimalist about Como cierva sedienta at all. This half-hour work for women's chorus, soprano, and orchestra, Pärt's first work in Spanish, conflates the texts of Psalms 42 and 43, beginning with a much-simplified modern Spanish translation of the line generally rendered in English as "As the hart panteth after the water brooks." The text is cast in a complex form; there are five sections, several of them framed by instrumental interludes, and the text prayerfully returns three times to the verse beginning "Why art thou cast down, O my soul?" In tonality and manner, the work evokes both Britten's choral music and even Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms, but it's a bit grander than either, with harps and big climaxes. Likewise unexpected are the two short works included on the album. The all-instrumental title work Orient & Occident is a positively Ivesian piece that opposes an Indian-sounding Eastern melody to Western chordal textures. The two layers clash, tentatively meet, go their separate ways, and finally reach a tense yet solid coexistence. Composed in 2000, it marks a fascinating departure for Pärt, and to these ears it's a real gem. The opening Wallfahrtslied (1984) offers another binary concept: a literally monotone men's vocal chorus representing the death that claimed a friend of the composer is surrounded by active strings symbolizing the living world. The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir have the right sheen for Pärt and ECM's sound is, as usual, exemplary.  James Manheim 

ARVO PÄRT - Collage (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For all of those who look for early works of Pärt this is a precious recording. I believe there are a lot of people who don't find much appeal in Pärt's late repetitive, mystic works for the very same reasons others prefer them. So what's up here is that Pärt has a few lesser known works before, say, his third symphony which are the "opposite" of the mentioned above. Those who are found of Schnittke will surely appreciate this. The most remarkable composition in this record is maybe the "Credo" for piano mixed choir and orchestra. It consists of 13 minutes of duel between the forces of the past (represented by Bach's well known motifs) and the eruptive resources of modernist aleatoric clusters of sound. So, pools of beautiful passages are interrupted by (or combined with) destructive (or desconstructive) interventions of the orchestra till the whole, peaking sometimes the frenetic, becomes yet a powerful block of distinctive sound.

In spite of this chaotic character the music is full of imaginative textures never becoming static and confusing. What's impressive is that this work is from 1968! The 2nd symphony, even earlier, although not so exuberant also offers similar processes, sometimes with strong percussion, and includes an unexpected romantic melodic passage by the end which, no matter how much ironic it may be intended, moves the listener by moments to another atmosphere. (The 1st symphony may be found on "Searching for roots" compilation by Virgin with works of Tüur and Tubin). "Collage sur B-A-C-H" is better known and so are the remaining works which are more recent. It must be said that the commented works here, exploring most of the times the technique of "appropriation", may belong to Pärt's youth searching period and maybe discussable as not as relevant as his mystic late works - but they are surely very refreshing for all who enjoy the fruitful style of 60's modernism and want to know the other face of Pärt. web

Tracklist:

1 - Collage Sur B-A-C-H - I. Tocatta. Preciso

2 - Collage Sur B-A-C-H - II. Sarabande. Lento

3 - Collage Sur B-A-C-H - III. Ricercar. Deciso

4 - Summa

5 - Wenn Bach Bienen Gezuchtet Hatte

6 - Fratres

7 - Symphony No. 2 - I

8 - Symphony No. 2 - II

9 - Symphony No. 2 - III

10 - Festina Lente

11 - Credo

Boris Berman, Piano

Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus

Neeme Järvi

Chandos 9134 (1993)

ARVO PÄRT - Piano Music [Ralph van Raat] 2011 [NAXOS]

Dutch pianist Ralph van Raat's collection of Arvo Pärt's piano music spans nearly 50 years of his career, from student pieces written in 1958 to a work from 2006. This would not be the right album for listeners looking primarily for Pärt's legendary austere simplicity, but it would be ideal for anyone already familiar with the composer looking for exposure to the broad stylistic and expressive range of which he is capable. The two Sonatinas, Op. 1, are often reminiscent of Prokofiev's vivacity and lyricism, and are witty, engaging pieces. The 1959 Partita, Op. 2, while employing serial procedures, is still largely tonal and nowhere near as daunting as the cutting-edge avant-garde of the period. Für Alina, from 1976, was one of Pärt's breakthrough pieces, in which he wholeheartedly embraced the principles of simplicity, quiet, and the significance of the silences between notes; this work marks the beginnings of the revolutionary sound for which Pärt is best known. Variationen zur Gesundung von Arinuschka, in six very brief movements, written the following year, inhabits the same contemplative, uncluttered, unhurried soundworld. Much of it, in fact, consists of a single melodic line. The most recent piece on the album, the entirely tonal, gently arppegiated Für Anna Maria, from 2006 has a sweetness that sounds almost new age. Lamentate: Homage to Anish Kapoor and his sculpture "Marsyas," (2002), at 35 minutes, is essentially a piano concerto and stands in stark contrast to the other works both in scope and tone. The sculpture is phenomenally large, ten stories high and nearly 500 feet long, and Pärt's work is appropriately monumental. It's not particularly grand in traditional terms, but its long silences and dramatic timbres still convey a sense of vastness. Van Raat, a champion of new music, plays with sensitivity and appropriate simplicity in the later works and has no trouble making the virtuosic sonatinas sparkle. JoAnn Falletta expertly leads Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic in the spare accompaniment in Lamentate. Naxos' sound is clean, present, and realistic. by Stephen Eddins,

Estonian composer Arvo Pärt was still a student when his two Sonatinas op.1 and the Partita op.2 were published. It is unlikely that anyone familiar only with Pärt the modernist of the 1960s or the more tonal-mystical composer from the Eighties onwards would be able to name him as the creator of these early earthy, neo-classical-cum-impressionist, Shostakovich-meets-Ravel pieces. In his notes, Dutch pianist Ralph van Raat writes that in these works "all the seeds of his later musical language are already firmly present: echoes of early music […], a direct focus on expression […], a predilection for the ostinato form […] and a general economy of material with an omnipresent focus on melody." Yet listening to the martial atonality of much of the Partita, for example, many listeners will suspect that even Pärt's own mother would barely recognise him. More probably, these two works mark the advent of a composer who more or less metamorphosed into a different one a few years later, and another one after that.

A first glimpse of the Spiegel-im-Spiegel Pärt is afforded by the Variations for the Recovery of Arinuschka, and then the slightly earlier and darkly reflective Für Alina. This latter was in fact the piece that heralded Pärt's so-called 'tintinnabular' style, through which he has achieved popular fortune and, perhaps, a certain amount of critical infamy as he emerged in the mid-Seventies from artistic hibernation following his uncompromisingly modernist works of the Sixties. According to Pärt, "Tintinnabulation is an area I sometimes wander into when I am searching for answers - in my life, my music, my work. In my dark hours, I have the certain feeling that everything outside this one thing has no meaning." After Spiegel im Spiegel came the well-known Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten and the variants of Fratres. The beauty of these pieces lies undoubtedly in their simplicity, but any profundity likely depends heavily on the individual listener, for whom they may be deeply moving or rather boring. Others may blame Pärt for Ludovico Einaudi.

Für Anna Maria, on the other hand, his latest piano piece, is a minute - in both senses - cameo in G major harking back two and a half centuries, like something young Wolfgang Amadeus wrote when he was six (which is not an insult to Pärt) - in fact it was composed for the birthday of a ten-year-old girl. This is the only premiere recording in van Raat's programme.

The major work is Lamentate. Pärt's music would have to go some way to match the dimensions of Anish Kapoor's steel 'n' PVC alien spaceship 'Marsyas', which was displayed from 2002 to 2003 by London's Tate Modern museum, which commissioned Pärt's work for the occasion. Pärt viewed Kapoor's grandiloquent creation, as artistic types are wont to do, as a "confrontation with mortality", and Lamentate (or LamenTate) thus doubles up as a "lament for those who suffer from pain and hopelessness" - which is presumably everyone, though Pärt is not specific. Listener-friendly, tonal, atmospheric, introspective: this magical work is a pan-temporal filmic-Lisztian hybrid of expansive, elegiac soundscapes that often approach stasis. What sets Pärt apart from other 'minimalists' is that he has the genius to create beauty, drama and variety out of very little apparent material - his music almost always evokes a sense of depth, even if the words Pärt uses to write about it are often vacantly New Age.

On the subject of which, Ralph van Raat's notes for Naxos have been criticised elsewhere for their hyperbolic nature. It may be toned down here but it still exhibits an occasional tendency towards spiritual fustian, not content with opening with a gratuitous quotation from the New Testament. Thus: "Arvo Pärt has followed the quest for musical expression within the microcosm of his inner self, a journey of introspection rather than exposure." Van Raat sums up Pärt's music with an almost surreal reverence that borders on gibberish: "Understanding the music of Arvo Pärt requires an open and receptive attitude. [The] gateway to the colours and messages behind the musical surface can only be encoded by an unprecedented focus and concentration. This focus can only originate from total silence, which will only be broken when it necessarily needs to be. His music then just conveys the essentials: the essentials of life and death."

As a pianist, fortunately, van Raat is generally immaculate. He has recorded several CDs for Naxos over the last three or four years, specialising in contemporary music. Discs include Gavin Bryars' Piano Concerto with the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic in their own Naxos debut, released earlier this year (review), as well as the solo piano music of John Adams (8.559285), John Tavener (review), Frederic Rzewski (review), Hans Otte (review) and Magnus Lindberg (review). In each case van Raat's pianism was the recipient of enthusiastic thumbs-ups. Here he gives another fine performance characterised by expressive, dexterous and highly polished proportions.

Sound quality too is good. The CD booklet is the usual kind of thing from Naxos, reasonable detail in a tiny font. It is a pity that Naxos and van Raat could not see their way to recording Pärt's two other works for solo piano to date, his Diagramme op.11 and, predating his op.1, the Four Easy Dances: not only would they both have fitted on the disc, but each appears to have been recorded only once previously on CD. by Rob Barnett, Musicweb-International.com
Tracklist:
Zwei Sonatinen fur Klavier, Op.1, Nr.1 (1958-9)
1. I. Allegro (02:25)
2. II. Larghetto - Allegro (04:05)
Zwei Sonatinen fur Klavier, Op.1, Nr.2 (1958-9)
3. I. Allegro energico (01:47)
4. II. Largo (02:13)
5. III. Allegro (01:40)
Partita, Op. 2 (1958)
6. I. Toccatina (00:45)
7. II. Fughetta (01:02)
8. III. Larghetto (03:08)
9. IV. Ostinato (02:11)
Variationen zur Gesundung von Arinuschka (1977)
10. I. Variation 1: Moderato (01:12)
11. II. Variation 2 (01:13)
12. III. Variation 3 (01:06)
13. IV. Variation 4: Piu mosso (00:47)
14. V. Variation 5 (01:01)
15. VI. Variation 6 (01:07)
16. Für Alina (03:24)
17. Für Anna Maria (01:12)
Lamentate: Homage to Anish Kapoor and his Scultpure 'Marsyas',
for piano and orchestra (2002)
18. I. Minacciando (03:10)
19. II. Spietato (03:31)
20. III. Fragile (00:57)
21. IV. Pregando (05:07)
22. V. Solitudine - stato d'anomo (05:31)
23. VI. Consolante (01:10)
24. VII. Stridendo (01:23)
25. VIII. Lamentabile (05:13)
26. IX. Risolutamente (02:46)
27. X. Fragile e conciliante (06:31)

ARVO PÄRT - Piano Music [Ralph van Raat] 

2011 [NAXOS] CBR320 / scans

O Púbis da Rosa

ARVO PÄRT - Creator Spiritus [2012]

 The selections on this album of music by Estonian "holy minimalist" Arvo Pärt come from different phases of his career. One, the Solfeggio, dates from 1963, before Pärt abandoned serialism for his minimalist experiments; it was revised and simplified a good deal in 2008, however. The centerpiece (and finale), the Stabat Mater, was composed in 1985, and several of the shorter pieces date from the 2000s. The repertoire is divided between sacred choral pieces and short secular pieces of various kinds, all culminating in the giant, hypnotic, and virtually symmetrical Stabat Mater. Conductor Paul Hillier, who despite the profusion of new recordings of Pärt is still tough to beat, structures the program so as to use various ensembles: his own small group Theatre of Voices (also including an organ), the larger Ars Nova Copenhagen, and the NYYD Quartet. This tunes the ear to the subtle contrasts that are essential to Pärt's often almost static later music, and the whole therefore gathers in intensity as it proceeds. There aren't really any examples of Pärt's tintinnabulation (bell-like) texture, bringing home the degree to which he has purified and simplified his music even as he, like Western minimalists, has readmitted some aspects of functional harmony. The sacred a cappella pieces emerge as a kind of timeless chant, akin to but quite different from traditional forms of Orthodox chant, and the starkly simple secular pieces function as interludes. Sample the unique setting of the English-language traditional ballad My Heart's in the Highlands (track 6), where the vocal part consists only of a single note. The cumulative effect is powerful indeed, and the musicians are backed up by superb engineering from Harmonia Mundi. If you are interested in the development of Pärt's music over time, you could hardly do better than this release.  by James Manheim  

Arvo Pärt [1935 - ] Creator Spiritus

 [Ars Nova Copenhagen-Theatre of Voices-Paul Hillier] 

Harmonia Mundi 2012 / CBR320 / scan

O Púbis da Rosa

ARVO PÄRT- Alina (1999) Mp3

 Arvo Pärt is a living national treasure to Estonia, and this album reveals such intimate access to his faith, sadness, and humility. Structured in five parts, Alina is a simple, chilling invocation of heartfelt desire comprised of only two movements that alternate with subtle variation. The opening lullaby of "Spiegel im Spiegel" is a gentle and melancholy embrace between Sergej Bezrodney on piano and Vladimir Spivakov on violin, where every note steps gracefully forward, as if ascending a fragile staircase. In contrast, the two movements of "Für Alina" leave a little room for structured improvisation, as the top note in each chord is left for the performer to, as Pärt puts it, "explore within themselves." Thus, Alexander Malter deserves special recognition for breathing such mournful sweetness into these passages through every fingertip; every delicate cluster of notes shines like a distant star through a wintery black night. Malter stays on for the middle section of "Spiegel im Spiegel" and, with violoncello from Dietmar Schwalke, adds a more somber deliberateness to the piece that pianist Bezrodney shies away from in his performances (tracks one and five), instead opting for restrained tenderness. The disc closes much in the same way it opens: as if a prayer of deepest longing were just whispered into the still air. Frequent ECM producer Manfred Eicher calls upon his usual strengths, by letting the instruments speak for themselves in the right acoustical settings -- less is certainly more, and the stark beauty of Alina comes partly from what we hear between the notes: such a rich and gorgeous silence. This is perhaps one of Pärt's finest releases on compact disc, though one of his quietest. These are the tears of ghosts. by Glenn Swan   
Tracklist
1 Spiegel Im Spiegel 10:36
2 Für Alina 10:47
3 Spiegel Im Spiegel 9:12
4 Für Alina 10:53
5 Spiegel Im Spiegel 9:48